MSc in Geography and Environment (Hazards, Risk, and Resilience)

The Master's in Geography and Environment (Hazards, Risk and Resilience) is a multidisciplinary enrichment program designed for current graduate MSc students who wish to become specialists in the field of natural hazards and risks, and who wish to gain an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of disaster risk reduction problems and solutions. The student earns a degree in the home department plus credit for participation in the collaborative specialization. Currently, the participating departments are Civil & Environmental Engineering, Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment and Statistical & Actuarial Sciences.

The collaborative specialization will enhance the education and research of graduate students interested in natural hazards, risks, and resilience and is designed with four goals in mind:

  • Learn about the engineering, physical and quantitative science, and social science aspects of hazards, risks, and resilience as well as their interconnectivity;
  • Conduct quantitative research in hazard, risks, and resilience;
  • Learn from a diverse, multidisciplinary group of faculties working in these areas at Western; and
  • Develop their own multidisciplinary network of colleagues by interacting with other students from several distinct subject areas participating in the collaborative specialization.

Program Progression
Registration and enrolment is always concurrent and in addition to participation in a home degree program; the student earns a degree in the home department plus credit for successful completion of the specialization on their transcript and parchment.

Supervision

Master's students are supervised through a Thesis Advisory Committee of at least two, consisting of the Supervisor and another faculty member knowledgeable in the area of research. A member of the Advisory Committee must be listed as a member of the Hazards, Risk and Resilience list of Faculty Advisors. The Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the student's academic program, especially the thesis research and thesis preparation.